5 Ways to Be Connected
The human immune system is a fast responder. It knows immediately when/if we are having emotional or spiritual problems. And, of course, this response affects our health.
If wellness is important to you…and I think it is because you’re a reflexologist, then one of the best things you can do is pamper your immune system. This works for your client partners also. No one is exempt on this.
This we know: there is a direct correlation between negative emotions, disease, and accelerated aging. Appreciation, sympathy, understanding are important to all of us.
Inner peace is important to being well – being grounded.
One thing in life which promotes inner peace and groundedness is an appreciation for nature and seeing the connection that all living beings share.
There are several ways to promote this connectedness:
WALK IN THE PARK. Actually, a “walk in the park” is the generic term for any activity which gets you positively involved with nature That can include biking, hiking, museum going, or anything else which makes you aware of how connected we all are.
GET A PET. This is a biggie if you can do it. Not everyone lives where pets are allowed. But, if you can…a dog or cat is awesome. Pets offer something which humans seem to be unable to offer: unconditional love.
A pet will:
improve your immune system function,
give you a more positive outlook on life,
lower your blood pressure
love you unconditionally.
What more can you ask for?
KEEP A JOURNAL. For some this can be a challenge. But, this journal is not for anyone but yourself. So, don’t worry about the spelling, punctuation, paragraphs, etc.
The purpose of your journal is to make a note of special moments which sustain you when you’re feeling low. Such moments include:
a cat’s purr
a baby’s smile
a smell of a flower
a compliment
a smile from a stranger
When you record them, you may notice that these special moments occur more often than you thought.
BREATHE. This is a biggie. Breathe in while while mentally repeating a positive phrase such as “I bring positive energy into my life.” Hold your breath for a moment and then exhale as you repeat “I radiate positive energy.” Consciously breathing for a couple of minutes each day can have a profound impact on your life.
Many people go through their whole lives not even thinking about how they breathe or what their breath does for them. Honor your breath.
INCORPORATE SURPRISE. Try to do something unexpected every day. Compliment a total stranger on a haircut or a jacket or something. It doesn’t matter what, really. Just say something complimentary to someone who is totally not expecting anything.
Leave a small token for someone who is not expecting anything…and keep it a secret if you can.
Offer to walk someone’s dog.
Say “Thank you.”
GET INVOLVED. This can mean walking a dog at the local pound or hosting a food drive for your local food pantry. There are many, many groups out there where people are working to make life better for us all. Volunteering is an extremely positive way to go through life.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
don’t forget to join the email list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Michele Garner donated the artwork for this post.
In a Perfect World…
We would all be disease free
Our brains would stay sharp
We would all experience good energy levels
Physical fitness would be very common
Everyone would feel young.
But, we don’t live in a perfect world. The question is this: How can we be disease-free physically fit, have sharp brains, experience less stress, feel young?
One way is to honor our immune system. It is our immune system which keeps us healthy, disease free, physically fit, mentally sharp.
People visit reflexologists regularly as they strive to prevent as much disease as possible. And, they are correct to do this. As reflexologists, we work to facilitate homeostasis – bring balance.
Focusing on the immune system is important, not only for the diseases we think about: colds, flu, etc., but for many other diseases we consider to be lifestyle or aging diseases:
MS
thyroid disease
colitis
rheumatoid arthritis
diabetes.
When the immune system is out of balance, it can become overactive. An overactive immune system participates in the aging process as it encourages autoimmune diseases.
As a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner, you are important to the health maintenance of your client partners. Your client partners will be healthier when their immune systems function at peak levels. An immune system functions at its peak when it successfully fights off viruses, bacteria, parasites.
Encourage your clients to contribute to a healthy immune system. As a reflexologist, you offer sessions and you also work to ground your client partners so they can do everything they need to do to keep themselves healthy:
breathe properly and therapeutically
eat a diet which is healthy for the individual
sleep sufficiently
exercise
smell the flowers
This is really what Marge d’Urso meant when she emphasized that reflexologists work with the whole client partner as we offer homeostasis.
Thank you for reading this blog book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
I hope you found this helpful. Please leave your comments below and check out the other posts.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Other blogs by Thurman Greco:
photograph by Jennette Nearhood
The Fountain of Youth
On April 12, 1513, Ponce de Leon landed on what is now Florida. He is believed by many nowadays to have been seeking the Fountain of Youth.
Whether he was seeking a magic potion or not is irrelevant because he never reported discovering such a Fountain of Youth. And, today, it’s pretty well agreed by all leaders in the health field that a Fountain of Youth does indeed exist. However, we don’t drink it.
The Fountain of Youth is called Exercise.
Are you interested in being healthy?
Do you want your body to last a long time?
Do you want to have an active daily life?
Exercise daily!
Begin your journey to wellness and longevity and homeostasis by choosing an activity you’ll enjoy doing.
Walking is a good first choice. It costs very little to walk. Walk a few minutes each day. Begin by walking about 10 minutes the first day and then increase both the speed and the length of each walk until you get to a brisk 30-minute session each day.
When you walk you experience a mild detox and you heal on some level.
Organizing a walking group is a good way for you as a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner to motivate client partners, neighbors, friends, to become healthier. Walking is a social event as you see the same people on your walk every day. It’s fun to see how everyone’s doing on your walking route.
There are literally hundreds of exercising options: gym, cycling, running, swimming. It really doesn’t matter what you choose – the fountain of youth can be found in pretty much any activity that you’ll like well enough to do at least 3 times every week. What matters is that you move. Whatever your age, the state of your health, moving helps.
It’ll be even better if you can do your favorite activity in short bursts throughout the day if you are sedentary.
Yoga is a good choice because you compete only against yourself. It keeps you well stretched. Many people “grow” an inch or 2 when they take up yoga.
Whatever activity you choose, when you move, you get the blood circulating. The brain and nervous system become more active. It’s harder for muscles to go into atrophy. The immune system gets a boost.
Regular exercise helps you feel better about yourself, increases your energy level.
Some forms of exercise, if they are “right” for you, can be very grounding. This is important for a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner. Encourage not only yourself, but your client partners to find that activity which is physically challenging as well as spiritually uplifting – this is the fountain of youth!
Guideline: Move – partake of the fountain of youth!
Thank you for reading this blog book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please leave a comment.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Buyer Beware – 6 Things to Know About Eating Better
In another time I lived in the interior of Venezuela – 50 miles from headhunters in 1 direction and 50 miles from a grocery store in another direction.
Milk for my family was delivered weekly by a Spaniard who owned an area dairy. I got to know him and his cows very well. It wasn’t that I considered him to be so interesting or entertaining. I was afraid of getting milk infected with tuberculosis. I had 2 toddlers and I was doing everything I could to keep them healthy.
Most of us, when asked, will admit to eating a nearly perfect diet. Delve deeper, and you’ll find that everyone’s diet is different. You’ll also find many of the diets are not healthy…some are not even safe.
It’s hard to know which is the correct diet. There are thousands out there. Many are touted as being the best. We can go into a large book store or library and find an extremely generous selection of cookbooks, each promoting a different way of eating. Top off that with the TV Food channels and the internet and everything becomes confusing.
So, what do you do as a reflexologist when your client partner begins to discuss diet or ask questions about digestion issues?
I offer a few sane suggestions for your own diet as well as that of your client partners, friends, neighbors, and anyone else trying to eat better:
Eat whole foods that are fresh and locally grown. I realize that you may have heard/read this before but I offer new twists on the same old sentence.
Eating locally grown food is important. It’s important to not only know that the food is locally grown, but it’s important to know which farm the food came from.
Can you afford a CSA? If your household is too small, split a membership.
Eating locally grown or raised foods includes
fresh vegetables
fresh fruits
whole grains
beans
fish
lean red meat
dairy products.
When you eat whole, fresh, locally grown foods, you’ll be eating food which experiences less processing, packaging, and shipping.
Foods grown in your area can be picked later, and eaten sooner. Overall, this means a better product.
When I think of fresh foods, I think of health promotion. It’s much better to eat an apple from nearby than to eat pears, apples, strawberries or whatever from South America or China.
And, if you know the farm this food comes from, you’re even better off because you’ll know about the pesticides used. You’ll never be able to learn what pesticides were used on food that came from Chile or China, or any other foreign location, no matter what the label tells you. Our government sends few to no inspectors to faraway places to verify what they say they do.
When you eat whole, fresh, locally grown foods, you’ll be eating better quality food offering the opportunity to protect your heart, stabilize your blood sugar, boost your brainpower, and generally improve your health.
Farmers shipping their products long distances focus on growing foods that travel well as opposed to products that taste better.
Begin your quest for locally grown food at a farmers market.
Don’t be shy. Ask your grocery store produce manager where the food comes from. It goes without saying that we need pure foods if we can get them. Organic, non-GMO, etc., are important.
At the very least, buy organic when you can. Here again, it helps to know which farm the food comes from. The term “organic” doesn’t mean what it did in times past. Many farmers claim to sell organic foods today that could not make that claim in the past. This is because the government has relaxed the organic designation guidelines.
If you’re on a budget, it’s important for some foods to be organic. Foods needing to be organic include:
apples
bell peppers
celery
chard
cherries
domestic blueberries
imported grapes
kale
lettuce
nectarines
peaches
potatoes
spinach
strawberries
Foods that do not necessarily need to be eaten in the organic state include:
asparagus
avocados
cabbage
cantaloupe
eggplant
grapefruit
kiwi
mango
onions
pineapple
sweet corn
sweet onions
sweet peas
sweet potatoes
watermelon
We eat many foods over time. I’ve only listed a very few items. However, the 2 lists offer insight into what constitutes a food needing to be organic and a food that may not.
Staying away from boxed and canned foods is important. They are often filled with additives which are not good for the human body. Many boxed and canned items aren’t even foods. They’re products which have been manufactured to eat. In the 21st century, just because something is sold in a food store to eat doesn’t mean it’s a food.
Food shopping in today’s world not only involves selecting items which are foods – whole, fresh, and local – but also being careful where you buy these items. Just because a store claims to be health oriented doesn’t mean that everything it sells is nutritious or even safe.
Approach each item with a questioning attitude. Read the label. If there are a lot of words which are hard to pronounce, return the item to the shelf.
Your grocer is in business to make $$$. Food is put on the shelves to sell. Just because it’s on the shelves doesn’t guarantee that it’s healthy or even safe.
This doesn’t mean that eating can’t be fun. It can be. It’ll be even more fun once you know exactly what you’re eating.
If you can, buy your breads from a local bakery which uses organic whole grains.
Become knowledgeable about your dairy, meat, and fish products. If at all possible, stay away from fish that are farmed.
If you eat meat, eggs, cheese, try to get products coming from animals that are free range, organic fed.
Purchase eggs coming from cage free hens.
Ham, bacon, and smoked fish should have no synthetic nitrates or nitrites.
Meats should be hormone free, free range grazed, and antibiotic free.
I realize that not everyone has access to these foods. We can’t eat what we don’t have access to. I also realize that these foods may be expensive. We also can’t eat what we can’t buy. Everyone faces choices when it comes to food shopping. Staying away from processed foods can free up some funds for fresh, whole, local.
It’s okay to be a food snob only wanting the most nutritious, healthiest food available.
Thanks for reading this blogged book.
Please refer this post to your preferred social media network.
I hope you found this article helpful. Please leave your comments below and check out the other posts.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Other blogs you may enjoy:
Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
The pituitary gland enhances a reflexology session many ways as it controls the endocrine system.
The pituitary gland is located in almost the center of the brain. As manager of the endocrine system, it sends messages to the other glands. The pituitary gland also releases hormones which trigger physical and emotional actions.
When you work the pituitary gland reflex, several things happen:
The pituitary gland secretes hormones controlling, coordinating, and regulating the function of endocrine glands throughout the body.
The glands of the endocrine system include:
thyroid gland
parathyroid glands
pancreas
adrenal glands
ovaries/testes
The pituitary gland reflexes are found on both feet in the center of the pad of the big toe.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please leave a comment.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the mailing list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
8 Ways the Shoulder Reflexes Enhance a Reflexology Session
The shoulder is one body part always under stress. Almost everyone has problems with the shoulder/arm/elbow. The shoulder suffers with broken bones, bruises, torn ligaments, sprains, and dislocations.
Our shoulders carry much weight physically, emotionally, spiritually. They’re important in a reflexology session.
The shoulder reflex points are found on both feet. They are just below the smallest toe.
When you reflex the shoulder points, several things happen:
Blood circulation is increased.
Muscles are toned up.
Nerves around the muscles receive healing energy.
Muscles surrounding the shoulder, arm, elbow, and wrist relax.
The joints are stimulated.
Wastes are removed in a mild detox action.
Muscles relax, decreasing tension in the torso.
Strain is removed from neck muscles.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please send a comment.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the mailing list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Caution! Gallstones Can be Very Painful!
Anybody who has ever known anyone with gallstones will pay attention to the causes of this very painful situation. And, the causes are pretty straight forward:
cholesterol in the bile
obesity
alcohol consumption
cirrhosis
So, just for starters, if you’re concerned about gallstones, get out there and exercise.
EAT VEGETABLES, VEGETABLES, AND VEGETABLES.
Many people have gallstones without the symptoms so if you think you might have them, go right ahead with the diet and exercise.
I don’t have to write this, because gallstones are so painful, but…if you have severe pain which might be in your gallbladder area, it’s really necessary to be under a physician’s care. Even the most severe holdouts will go to the doctor willingly with gallstones.
THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF A GALLSTONE ATTACK ARE PRETTY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. People suffering with gallstones are also suffering with anger, fear, irritability, resentment. A person suffering with gallstones is having trouble finding not only a person to blame but is also having trouble with forgiveness. With gallstone sufferers, this situation has been going on for a fairly long time.
When offering a reflexology session to a person concerned about gallstones, begin by working the entire digestive system with a focus liver reflex.
Focus on the gallbladder reflex.
Work the intestinal reflex.
Work the endocrine system.
Finish the session with a focus on the liver and solar plexus.
As always, thank you for reading this post.
Please refer this article to your favorite social media network.
Please send a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
W
Digestive System: Bottom Line Information, 16 Essential Oils, 44 Foods Which Nourish the Digestive System, and Improvements to be Expected to the Digestive System
BOTTOM LINE:
The digestive system is very quick to tell us if it’s distressed. Marge D’Urso taught that over 50% of people who visit reflexologists suffer from digestive disorders. A well-functioning digestive system is necessary for a healthy body. The importance of the digestive system to our overall health cannot be overrated.
Because the nervous system communicates with the digestive system, focus on the nervous system before working the digestive system. Follow this with attention to the digestive system including a focus on the intestinal tract. Because good health begins in the intestinal tract, work it a often as you can in your sessions whether or not the person has voiced complaints.
ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE WHEN WORKING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM INCLUDE black pepper, coriander, fennel, ginger, peppermint, rosemary, nutmeg, mountain savory, clove, lemon, tarragon, basil, grapefruit, spearmint, lemongrass, copaiba
FOODS NOURISHING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM INCLUDE apples, apricots, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, coffee, dandelions, eggs, fennel, flaxseed oil, garlic, ghee, grapefruit, green beans, green tea, kale, leeks, lemons, mushrooms, oatmeal, okra, olive oil, onions, papaya, peppers, pineapple, prunes, pumpkin, rutabagas, spinach, squash, strawberries, tea, tomatoes, turnips, water, watermelon, yogurt
Of the foods on the above list, the following foods are also on Johnny Bowden, Ph.D.’s list of the 150 healthiest foods on earth.
apples, apricots, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, coffee, dandelions, eggs, fennel, flaxseed oil, garlic, grapefruit, green beans, kale, leeks, lemons, mushrooms, oatmeal, olive oil, onions, peppers, pineapple, prunes, pumpkin, strawberries, tea, turnips, water, watermelon, yogurt.
So, you’ve actually got two lists here. The top list is the list of foods nourishing the digestive system. The second list is those foods on Johnny Bowden’s list. This gets a little complicated but it’s worth knowing. If you have problems with the information and how it’s listed, please let me know.
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE EXPECTED FROM SESSIONS TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
The importance of digestive system health cannot be overestimated. Both disease and health begin in the intestinal tract. Regular sessions focusing on the digestive system encourage a healthy digestive system. WOW!
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Thank you for sending a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Follow this with attention to the digestive system including a focus on the intestinal tract. Because good health begins in the intestinal tract, work it as often as you can in your sessions whether or not the client-partner has voiced complaints.
Constipation – a Very Common Complaint
MARGE D’URSO TAUGHT ME THAT ABOUT 50% OF MY CLIENT-PARTNERS SUFFER FROM CONSTIPATION. She was not wrong. Many times, a person comes to my table suffering with constipation and doesn’t even tell me about it. However, over time, I hear about the situation when it’s in the past tense.
It is very difficult to receive regular reflexology sessions and suffer with constipation.
Constipation is often accompanied by gas and abdominal discomfort. Physical causes include improper diet, stress, dehydration.
PEOPLE SUFFERING WITH CONSTIPATION OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY LETTING GO OF THE PAST – EVENTS, BELIEFS.
People suffering with constipation can be very controlling.
People suffering with constipation can have relationships that need to end, jobs they need to leave, anger they need to let go of……
When offering Reflexology for the Spirit to a client partner suffering with constipation, begin by working the solar plexus and diaphragm.
Work the digestive system as you focus on the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and intestinal reflexes.
Work the endocrine system as you focus on the adrenal gland reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please send a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
A Very Common but Rarely Discussed Health Issue – Hemorrhoids
AS WE AGE, MORE AND MORE OF US SUFFER WITH HEMORRHOIDS. This makes sense when we realize that aging is part of the situation. Spiritually, as we age, some of us develop an inability to let go of life events. We develop a feeling that life has been unfair as we become critical of ourselves as well as others. Fear is always a factor in hemorrhoids. Fear, anger, lack of self-confidence Many of us cling to beliefs, opinions that are outdated.
ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL, HEMORRHOIDS ARE VARICOSE VEINS IN THE RECTUM AND ANUS AREAS. They are considered to be harmless unless they become infected or rupture. So, hemorrhoids become a part of our daily lives as the bowel movement becomes slower than we want and more difficult.
CHRONIC CONSTIPATION, PERSISTENT DIARRHEA, PROLONGED SITTING, PREGNANCY, AND ANAL INTERCOURSE CONTRIBUTE TO HEMORRHOIDS. Softening the stool, eating a high fiber diet, and being hydrated, help prevent hemorrhoids.
WHEN YOU OFFER REFLEXOLOGY TO A PERSON SUFFERING WITH HEMORRHOIDS, begin by working the digestive system as you focus on the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder reflexes.
Work the endocrine system as you focus on the adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the intestinal reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please make a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
